Letter of the law

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT), Brian Saxton THE NEWS-TIMES

Published 1:00 am, Wednesday, April 5, 2006

NEW MILFORD - New Milford mail carrier Michael Sneideman, a 35-year-old Republican who had announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, withdrew from the race Tuesday after discovering that a federal law disqualifies him from running.

Sneideman, who wanted to challenge three-term Democrat incumbent Sen.
Joe Lieberman
, volunteered to stand down after
U.S. Postal Service
officials told him the Hatch Act prevents active mail carriers from running for political office because they are considered federal employees.

The law was meant to protect federal employees who might be strong-armed into helping one of their bosses run for office.

Sneideman, who said he was unaware of the law, was told he could run only if he relinquished his job or was fired.

"I felt a little embarrassed," said Sneideman. "I was getting excited about doing it. I think I would have done OK."

Sneideman said because he did not want to leave the postal service, he wrote a letter to officials formally withdrawing his candidacy.

Although the Hatch Act was amended in 1993 to allow mail carriers to take an active part in other candidates' campaigns for federal offices, they are still not allowed to run themselves.

"The question doesn't usually come up," said U.S. Postal Service spokesman
Karl Walton
. "For most of the time people aren't running for any office, so it's not something we have to be concerned about."

Walton said that if anyone does raise the question of becoming a political candidate, the department explains the regulations.

"We do remind departments about the regulations from time to time, especially around election day," Walton said.